The Heir In Retrospect
by saroopkishan
Summary: The following is a tale of the dark lord in retrospect.Its based on Rowling's original work with some of my own inputs.It will be an easy read for most and interesting because the story follows the same plot of the original with some more details....
1. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**The Orphaned Riddle**

Tom peered through the bushes. The sun ready to sink, after its day's duty cast an ochre glumness on his face which jibed the autumnal dullness around him. He walked briskly towards a poultry shed, leapt over the fence wall and quietly went over the half ramshackle section of the shed, where roosters were kept. He started feeding the roosters with spilled grains, eyeing cautiously for the caretaker who ran after him the last time. He loved roosters for some strange reason and never failed to visit them.

He closely examined slimy compost trench at one end and always wondered what it was used for, probably to catch intruders like him. A toad, still as stone near the edge of the trench, caught Tom's imagination. He dived forward on the ground and the few moments later the toad grappled helplessly in Tom's hands. This sudden movement of Tom scared the roosters which fluttered inside its cages. The caretaker sensing this sudden unrest pounded towards the shed. Tom was quick to react and thrusting the toad in his pocket climbed the shed like a monkey! The care taker however left, clueless.

Now sat atop on an almost crumbling shed of his neighbourhood he scanned the area. He took the toad from his pocket and stroked it thrice before flinging it aiming the compost trench. He could see a long building a much larger version of a railway wagon across a big ground where some kids were playing cricket. The wagon like building is where he would sleep that night. He gazed the orphanage which he loathed. Loathingwas an emotion too strong for a small boy like Tom. After every evening escapade, his thoughts would wander into a non-committal avenue of running away, from his seemingly stoic existence.

Choice was least significant, but consequences, he realized wisely, otherwise deterred him from carrying out the recurring thoughts of breaking free. The drearily painted orphanage was the only place he could call, home. The orphanage as people said was where the unwanted and less fortunate souls are kept or just dumped, whereby masking the blurred line of an ethical living. Does Tom approve of these social beliefs? Does he even understand what it means? But what Tom knew was that the place gave him shelter, food, clothing and most of all - affiliation. With a bunch of underprivileged children as company it was an affiliation his forefathers would reject with contempt and the meanest displeasure. More importantly it was the very place of his birth, of what he heard from Mrs. Cole and the very place his mother, the last witch of the inglorious and magnificent Slytherin bloodline, breathed her last.

Was he meant for bigger things? Was his life confined to an orphanage or rested on a hope that a couple would walk in one day and adopt him as their son? Would he be treated badly for his status as a stepson if his parents had a baby?

Deprived of love and care, deprived of the rightful and exhilarating experience of motherly love and parental upbringing his safest option and only hope then was living in that orphanage.

Tom climbed down the shed and sauntered across the width of the clearing, fully ignorant of his dark future, exactly like the darkness which drowned the London suburb, as the last traces of twilight vanished.


	2. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

_**The Bullied Parseltongue**_

The dry leaves ruffled as the snake slithered its way towards Ben, who was having a run of his life.

"Tom! You're gonna pay for it," shouted who managed to climb a withered sycamore. The snake below made similar attempts in vain because the thin and pale autumnal scales of the bark came off as quickly as the snake's pace.

"You're messing with the wrong cub, filthy Tom."

The grey skinned serpent stopped lurching as a boy approached the tree dressed in a jaded yellow camise and ankle length khakhi pants tattered at the ends. The boy called Tom, watched Ben up in the tree abusing him but his face never flinched and wore a stolid look. His black hair neatly combed sideways, eyes gray and firm, he resembled a boy with an air of purpose far beyond his age.

Tom wiped off the oozing droplets of blood from his gashed lips and gave a tepid smile at Ben who suddenly stopped his abusive onslaught.

"Okay...okay…I won't do that to you again. Please let off that thing outta here…please I can't hang on here any longer. Please"

Tom gave a quick stare at the snake which raised its head sensing an impending order. Tom said something to the snake but the only sound Ben could hear was a hiss. The snake slithered away.

Ben descended, after the risky venture on the sycamore and looked down on Tom. Facing each other, Ben was almost double the size of Tom and appeared fifteen. Tom looked around ten but his fragile built betrayed the look of horror on Ben's face, who stood speechless. Ben could no longer bear the unnatural glare of Tom and fled the scene without looking back. Tom laughed mischievously as Ben fumbled and fell at the wired boundary of the orchard.

Ben would never again bully his roommate Tom again.


End file.
